Secrets to Super Bowl Success

4 Minute Read

Like success in any aspect of life, success in the NFL isn’t easy.

Super Bowl winners realize that winning the big game is about more than just talent and raw skill. If that was all it took to raise the Lombardi Trophy, then any good player out of college with a fast 40-yard-dash time and a strong arm would win the Super Bowl.

These guys spend years perfecting their craft and becoming world-class athletes. But their success is not just about what happens on the field. The large majority of their success comes from what went on behind the scenes.

They make plans.

In football, they call it a game plan. It’s simply the plan of attack (and defense) for the upcoming game. Every person on the team knows their role and how they fit into the game plan. In your life, the “plan” comes down to one thing: the budget. Get the free EveryDollar Guide to Budgeting.

They are resilient.

By the time an NFL player reaches the Super Bowl, he’s been practicing and playing football almost every day for six straight months. Think about all those aches and pains! Not only that, but there’s the mental mistakes every player needs to overcome. Successful NFL players bounce back from failure. The question for you is this: How do you respond when you approach an obstacle in your life? Find out five ways people say to overcome fear one step at a time.

They ignore the haters.

You think you’ve got haters? You should walk into a stadium filled with 70,000 people who will be hoarse tomorrow morning because they booed you so much. That’s the reality of an NFL player’s life, but they’ve learned to tune out the haters—because that’s the only way they’ll be able to focus and win. Who are the haters and Negative Nellies in your life? Tune them out.

They listen to people who’ve been there.

Not only do Super Bowl winners tune out the haters, they also tune in to the people who know what they are talking about—their coaches, mentors and other team members they look up to. If you want to be a successful entrepreneur, find a successful entrepreneur and invite them to coffee. If you want your marriage to last, find a couple who’ve been married a long time and ask them to your house. Reach out to people who can give you encouragement and wisdom.

They communicate.

This is a must, and it’s what teamwork is all about. If you’ve ever watched Peyton Manning or Tom Brady play quarterback, you know how important communication is to what they do. In the same way, if you aren’t on the same page with your spouse and your family about money, then it’s impossible to win in that area. Communication is one of the most important keys to financial success in a marriage.

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They focus on the ultimate goal.

For an NFL player, the ultimate goal is winning the Super Bowl. That’s why they practice in the 100-degree heat in August and put their bodies through the physical stress of an entire NFL season. To them, holding that trophy up is worth it. With money, your ultimate goal should be to build up enough wealth that you can give generously to your family and others. Live like no one else, so later you can live like no one else!

They’re willing to sacrifice.

Fatty foods are replaced by healthy foods. Late-night hours are replaced by early-morning hours. And partying with friends is replaced by working out at the gym. There’s only so much time in the day, and something’s got to go. Successful people realize that winning involves giving up some stuff that will get in the way of success. What are you willing to give up to succeed?

They’re passionate.

Sure, some athletes are all about the money, but many of them are extremely passionate about their jobs. If you don’t believe it, just watch them celebrate after winning the Super Bowl or take a look at their game faces before the opening kickoff. Around here, we call that type of passion “gazelle intensity”—meaning, like a gazelle running from a cheetah, you’ll do whatever it takes to get out of debt and change your family tree.

You might not ever be a Super Bowl champion, but that doesn’t mean you can’t develop the same traits as one.

If you’ll begin putting these practices to work in your life, then you’ll make 2014 an unbelievable year you won’t forget.